Set in the free-spirited San Francisco of 1985, writer-director Chris Mason Johnson’s TEST lovingly portrays this exciting and harrowing era as young Frankie (dancer Scott Marlowe in a breakout acting debut) confronts the challenges of being an understudy in a modern dance company where he’s taunted to “dance like a man!” Frankie embarks on a budding relationship with Todd (Matthew Risch, HBO’s “Looking”), a veteran dancer in the same company and the bad boy to Frankie’s innocent. As Frankie and Todd’s friendship deepens, they navigate a world of risk – it’s the early years of the epidemic – but also a world of hope, humor, visual beauty and musical relief.
“One of the strongest entries in this year’s [Newfest]… already been compared to Bill Sherwood’s 1986 film Parting Glances. Today that film is widely regarded as a landmark of gay cinema. — Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“With a delightful feel for period detail, Johnson takes us to San Francisco, circa 1985… Filled with gorgeous all-male ensemble dance numbers, Test is a slow build, but deeply rewarding.” –– Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly
